Watch for poison hazards right in your own backyard

Sunday, 14 March 2010 07:24 |

Health and Fitness

031410_hazardous The warmer weather means more time outside tending to our lawns and gardens or cooking on the barbecue. It can also mean an increased risk of accidental poisoning. Fertilizers, pesticides, gasoline and propane, among other things, all pose serious risks for young children.

According to the BC Drug and Poison Information Centre, there are more than 26,000 poisonings reported each year and more than half of them involve young children.

InteriorHealthLogo “Children between one and three are at highest risk”, says Patty Hallam, Public Health Nursing Program Consultant with Early Childhood Development. “Most of the poisonings are accidental and a function of the child’s age. Their curiosity makes them want to explore the world around them and get into things they shouldn’t. That’s why it’s important to make sure hazardous or poisonous materials are out of their reach”.

March 14 – 20th is Poison Prevention Week and a good time to look around your home and yard for possible hazards.

“By making ourselves aware of the possible hazards around our homes, we can remove them and prevent accidental poisonings”, says Eric Kowalski, IH Injury Prevention Manager. “It only takes a few, simple acts to make your home and yard safer for little ones”.

· Keep pesticides, pool chemicals, gasoline cans and other hazardous material locked up or up high where children can’t reach them. Don’t rely on child-resistant containers.

· Keep hazardous material in their original containers, so you’re aware of what’s inside.

· Close the containers immediately after use and store them out of children’s reach.

· Make sure the propane tank on a barbecue is secured and turned off tightly after each use.

Some hazards in the yard/outside to watch out for:

· Antifreeze

· Windshield Washer Fluid

· Fertilizers

· Lime

· Lighter Fluid

· Paint Remover/Thinner

· Pesticides/Insecticides

· Rat/Mouse Poison